The Indonesian government has started to introduce a 鈥淣ew Normal鈥� campaign that would allow the continuation of economic and social activity amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been nearly three months that President Joko 鈥淛okowi鈥� Widodo had announced that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected Indonesia. Ever since, the nation has seen numerous government efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, from announcing its own brand of jurisdictional semi-lockdowns, dubbed as PSBB (Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar or Large-Scale Social Restriction), to introducing various economic stimulus programs to help secure the country鈥檚 financial system stability and to ensure a speedy economic recovery.
Now, as efforts to find a vaccine to COVID-19 continue to trail, President Jokowi has deemed that 鈥淚ndonesia should try and co-exist with COVID-19". Over the last couple of weeks, the government has moved towards easing some of those restrictions to allow social and economic activities to resume. Under the oft-repeated phrase 鈥淣ew Normal鈥�, the government has issued a series of policies that would allow factories, offices, shopping centers as well as houses of worship to re-open, if they are located in areas where COVID-19 infections and fatalities are on decline. However, these social, economic and religious activity hubs must still implement a strict health and hygiene protocol.
鈥淐o-existing is not giving up. It鈥檚 adapting. We fight COVID-19 by prioritizing strict health protocols that we all must oblige to. The government will arrange it so that our lives can gradually return to normal while at the same time observes and considers the facts that are happening in the field. I stress that the safety of our citizens remains our priority. This is not a question of one or the other. This isn鈥檛 a dilemma. Our lives will change thanks to this pandemic. That is a certainty. That is what we call the new normal,鈥� said President Jokowi in a May 15 televised interview about the new normal campaign.
Strict health protocols
The first in the series of regulations issued concerning the new normal was released by the Health Ministry on May 26. Minister of Health Decree No HK.01.07/Menkes/328/2020 lays out guidelines for companies to follow in the effort to prevent any further spread of COVID-19 in sectors of the economy that would reopen in areas where the PSBB status has been lifted. On that same date, the Health Ministry also issued Circular No. HK.02.01/Menkes/335/2020 on Protocols to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace for the Services and Trade Sector (Public Areas), which lays out the various obligations workers and employers must fulfill while continuing their businesses in areas during and after the PSBB status has been lifted.
Then, on May 29, the Ministry of Domestic Affairs issued Decree No. 440-830/2020 on Guidelines for the Arrangements of a Safe and Productive COVID-19 New Normal for Civil Servants. The decree lays out the various requirements and steps government officials must take before reducing the various social and economic activity restrictions that have been put in place since Indonesia started its PSBB program in the effort to mitigate COVID-19. These requirements include a continuous declining rate of infections and deaths in the last 14 days. The decree also lays out the protocols that should be put in place once social and economic activity restrictions have been lifted.
Going further into details, Indonesia has adopted a zone approach to implement the new normal policy using these indicators:
- Infections in the last 14 days
- Number of Suspected Cases in the last 14 days
- Number of funerals using COVID-19 protocols
-
Direct COVID-19 infections on health workers
If the area shows a declining curve in all four indicators, it is designated a 鈥淕reen Zone鈥�.
If the area shows a flat curve in all four indicators, it is a designated a 鈥淵ellow Zone鈥�.
If the area shows a rising curve in all four indicators, it is designated a 鈥淩ed Zone鈥�.
As of the end of May, the government has allowed 102 regions to implement the new normal protocols. Should other regions enter the 鈥済reen zone鈥�, as stipulated by the Minister of Domestic Affairs Decree No. 440-800/2020, these regions would follow suit. But as it is the case already in countries such as China, South Korea and Japan, the campaign risks an increase in infection and death rate following the relaxation of social and economic activity restrictions.
There is no telling what shape the economy will take from this 鈥淣ew Normal鈥� practice. Research done by The Economist shows that even during this post-lockdown economy, businesses and individuals would still be struggling to make ends meet. Data compiled by The Economist showed that, at least in China, consumer footfall fell to about half of its previous levels from early in the year, hotel occupancy was also down by around fifty percent, while 75 percent fewer people are flying.